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People's Republic of China
Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó |conventional_long_name = People's Republic of China |common_name = China |image_flag = Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg |image_coat = National Emblem of the People's Republic of China.svg |symbol_type = Emblem |image_map = People's Republic of China (orthographic projection).svg |map_width = 220px |national_anthem = "义勇军进行曲" (March of the Volunteers) |official_languages = Simplified Chinese (written) |languages_type = National language |languages = (spoken)}} Simplified Chinese (written) |regional_languages = |ethnic_groups = 91% Han; 11+ minorities |capital = Beijing |latd=39 |latm=55 |latNS=N |longd=116 |longm=23 |longEW=E |largest_city = Shanghai |demonym = Chinese |government_type = Socialist state,The role of the government, China, Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved on 21-02-2007. Single-party communist state, People's democratic dictatorship |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Hu Jintao |leader_title2 = Premier |leader_name2 = Wen Jiabao |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = Wu Bangguo |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = Jia Qinglin |legislature = National People's Congress |sovereignty_type = Establishment |established_event1 = People's Republic of China proclaimed. |established_date1 = 1 October 1949 |area_footnote = or 9,671,018 km2 |area_km2 = 9,640,821 |area_sq_mi = 3704427 |area_rank = 3rd/4th |area_magnitude = 1 E12 |percent_water = 2.8 |population_estimate = 1,345,751,000 |population_estimate_year = 2009 |population_estimate_rank = 1st |population_census = 1,242,612,226 |population_census_year = 2000 |pop_den_footnote = |population_density_km2 = 139.6 |population_density_sq_mi = 363.3 |population_density_rank = 53rd |GDP_nominal = $4.327 trillion |GDP_nominal_rank = 3rd |GDP_nominal_year = 2008 |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $3,259 |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 104th |GDP_PPP_year = 2008 |GDP_PPP = $7.926 trillion |GDP_PPP_rank = 2nd |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $5,970 |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 100th |Gini = 47.0CIA World Factbook rankings |Gini_year = 2007 |HDI_year = 2007 |HDI = 0.772Human Development Report 2009. The United Nations. Retrieved 5 October 2009 |HDI_rank = 92nd |HDI_category = medium |currency = Renminbi (¥) |currency_code = CNY |time_zone = China Standard Time |utc_offset = +8 |date_format = yyyy-mm-dd ''or yyyy m d (CE; CE-1949) |drives_on = right, except for Hong Kong & Macau |cctld = .cn |calling_code = +86 |footnotes = a. See also Names of China. b. Information for mainland China only. Hong Kong and Macau are excluded. In addition, the territories under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, are also excluded. c. 9,598,086 km2 Excludes all disputed territories. 9,640,821 km2 Includes PRC-administered area (Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract, both territories claimed by India), Taiwan is not included. }} The People's Republic of China (PRC) ( |t= |p= }} ), commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population. It is a socialist republic (specifically a people's democratic dictatorship according to its constitution) ruled by the Communist Party of China under a single-party system, and has jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions (Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Ningxia, and Guangxi), four municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two highly autonomous Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong and Macau). The PRC's capital is Beijing. At approximately 9.6 million square kilometres (3.7 million square miles), the People's Republic of China is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area,Area rank is disputed with the United States and is either ranked third or fourth. See List of countries and outlying territories by area for more information. and the second largest by land area. Its landscape is diverse with forest steppes and deserts (the Gobi and Taklamakan) in the dry north near Mongolia and Russia's Siberia, and subtropical forests in the wet south close to Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. The terrain in the west is rugged and high altitude, with the Himalayas and the Tian Shan mountain ranges forming China's natural borders with India and Central Asia. In contrast, mainland China's eastern seaboard is low-lying and has a 14,500-kilometre long coastline bounded on the southeast by the South China Sea and on the east by the East China Sea beyond which lies Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. The ancient Chinese civilization—one of the world's earliest—flourished in the fertile basin of the Yellow River which flows through the North China Plain. For over 4,000 years, China's political system was based on hereditary monarchies (also known as dynasties). The first of these dynasties was the Xia (approx 2000BC) but it was later the Qin Dynasty who first unified China in 221 BC. The last dynasty, the Qing, ended in 1911 with the founding of the Republic of China (ROC) by the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT). The first half of the 20th century saw China plunged into a period of disunity and civil wars that divided the country into two main political camps – the Kuomintang and the Communists. Major hostilities ended in 1949, when the People's Republic of China was established in mainland China by the victorious Communists. The KMT-led Republic of China government retreated to Taipei, its jurisdiction now limited to Taiwan and several outlying islands. As of today, the PRC is still involved in disputes with the ROC over issues of sovereignty and the political status of Taiwan. China's importance in the world today as a great power is reflected through its role as the world's third largest economy nominally (or second largest by PPP) and a permanent member of the UN Security Council as well as being a member of several other multilateral organizations including the WTO, APEC, East Asia Summit, G-20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In addition, it is a recognized nuclear weapons state and has the world's largest standing army with the second largest defense budget. Since the introduction of market-based economic reforms in 1978, China has become one of the world's fastest growing economies and the world's second largest exporter and the third largest importer of goods. Rapid industrialization has reduced its poverty rate from 53% in 1981 to 8% in 2001.Fighting Poverty: Findings and Lessons from China’s Success (World Bank). Retrieved 10 August 2006. However, the PRC is now faced with a number of other problems including a rapidly aging population due to the one-child policy, Jim Landers [China's rapidly aging population may strain its economy August 11, 2008. Accessed October 15, 2008. a widening rural-urban income gap, and environmental degradation.Beijing’s Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue - New York Times Moreover, China has been criticized for its human rights violations, and for having a problematic record of interfering with press freedom. History proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949.]] Major combat in the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 with the Communist Party of China in control of mainland China, and the Kuomintang (KMT) retreating to Taiwan. On 1 October 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China.The Chinese people have stood up. UCLA Center for East Asian Studies. Retrieved 16 April 2006. "Communist China" or "Red China" were two of the names of the PRC.Smith, Joseph. Davis, Simon. 2005 (2005). The A to Z of the Cold War. Issue 28 of Historical dictionaries of war, revolution, and civil unrest. Volume 8 of A to Z guides. Scarecrow Press publisher. ISBN 0810853841, 9780810853843. The economic and social plan known as the Great Leap Forward resulted in an estimated 36 million deaths. In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the Cultural Revolution, which would last until Mao's death a decade later. The Cultural Revolution, motivated by power struggles within the Party and a fear of the Soviet Union, led to a major upheaval in Chinese society. In 1972, at the peak of the Sino-Soviet split, Mao and Zhou Enlai met Richard Nixon in Beijing to establish relations with the United States. In the same year, the PRC was admitted to the United Nations, replacing the Republic of China for China's membership of the United Nations, and permanent membership of the Security Council. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake, with death toll estimated to be between 240,000 to 655,000, is believed to be the largest earthquake of the 20th century by death toll.Spignesi, Stephen J. 2005 (2005). Catastrophe!: The 100 Greatest Disasters of All Time. ISBN 0806525584 The 2008 Sichuan earthquake that took lives of close to 70,000 was the greatest since 1976.Sichuan quake recalls China's most deadly. Times Online. May 12, 2008. After Mao's death in 1976 and the arrest of the Gang of Four, blamed for the excesses of the Cultural Revolution, Deng Xiaoping quickly wrested power from Mao's anointed successor Hua Guofeng. Although he never became the head of the Party or State himself, Deng was in fact the Paramount Leader of China at that time, his influence within the Party led the country to economic reforms of significant magnitude. The Communist Party subsequently loosened governmental control over citizens' personal lives and the communes were disbanded with many peasants receiving multiple land leases, which greatly increased incentives and agricultural production. This turn of events marked China's transition from a planned economy to a mixed economy with an increasingly open market environment, a system termed by someMartin Hart-Landsberg and Paul Burkett. "China and Socialism. Market Reforms and Class Struggle". Retrieved 30 October 2008. "market socialism". The PRC adopted its current constitution on 4 December 1982. In 1989, the death of pro-reform official, Hu Yaobang, helped to spark the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, during which students and others campaigned for several months for more democratic rights and freedom of speech. However, they were eventually put down on 4 June when PLA troops and vehicles entered and forcibly cleared the square, resulting in numerous casualties. This event was widely reported and famously videotaped, which brought worldwide condemnation and sanctions against the government. President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji, both former mayors of Shanghai, led post-Tiananmen PRC in the 1990s. Under Jiang Zemin's ten years of administration, the PRC's economic performance pulled an estimated 150 million peasants out of poverty and sustained an average annual GDP growth rate of 11.2%.Nation bucks trend of global poverty (11 July 2003). China DailyChina's Average Economic Growth in 90s Ranked 1st in World (1 March 2000). People's Daily Online. The country formally joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. Although the PRC needs economic growth to spur its development, the government has begun to worry that rapid economic growth has negatively impacted the country's resources and environment. Another concern is that certain sectors of society are not sufficiently benefiting from the PRC's economic development. As a result, under current President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, the PRC has initiated policies to address these issues of equitable distribution of resources, but the outcome remains to be seen."China worried over pace of growth". BBC. Retrieved 16 April 2006. More than 40 million farmers have been displaced from their land,China: Migrants, Students, Taiwan. Migration News. January 2006. usually for economic development, contributing to the 87,000 demonstrations and riots across China in 2005.In Face of Rural Unrest, China Rolls Out Reforms. The Washington Post. January 28, 2006. For much of the PRC's population in major urban centres, living standards have seen extremely large improvements, and freedom continues to expand, but political controls remain tight and rural areas poor. Politics , where the National People's Congress convenes.]] The PRC is regarded by several political scientists as one of the last five Communist states (along with Vietnam, North Korea, Laos, and Cuba), Cienciala, Anna(1996). The Rise and Fall of Communist Nations 1917-1994. Retrieved 16 October 2008. Juan Carlos EspinosaCivil Society in Cuba: The logic of emergence in comparative perspective, Retrieved 16 October 2008 but simple characterizations of PRC's political structure since the 1980s are no longer possible.Boum, Aomar (1999). Journal of Political Ecology: Case Studies in History and Society. Retrieved 5 May 2007. The PRC government has been variously described as communist and socialist, but also as authoritarian, with heavy restrictions remaining in many areas, most notably on the Internet, the press, freedom of assembly, reproductive rights, and freedom of religion. However, compared to its closed-door policies until the mid-1970s, the liberalization of the PRC is such that the administrative climate is much less restrictive than before, though the PRC is still far from the liberal democracy practiced in most of Europe or North America, and the National People's Congress has been described as a "rubber stamp" body. The PRC's incumbent President is Hu Jintao and its Premier is Wen Jiabao. The country is run by the Communist Party of China (CPC), which is guaranteed power by the Constitution. There are other political parties in the PRC, referred to in China as democratic parties, which participate in the People's Political Consultative Conference and the National People's Congress. There have been some moves toward political liberalization, in that open contested elections are now held at the village and town levels, "Does China’s Land-Tenure System Discourage Structural Adjustment?" by Bryan Lohmar and Agapi Somwaru. 1 May 2006. USDA Economic Research Service. URL accessed 3 May 2006. and that legislatures have shown some assertiveness from time to time. However, the Party retains effective control over government appointments: in the absence of meaningful opposition, the CPC wins by default most of the time. Political concerns in the PRC include lessening the growing gap between rich and poor and fighting corruption within the government leadership.China sounds alarm over fast-growing gap between rich and poor. Retrieved 16 April 2006. The level of support that the Communist Party of China has among the PRC population in general is unclear since there are no consistently contested national elections. According to a survey titled "Top 10 political figures in Mainland China and Taiwan" conducted in Hong Kong, approximately 1000 participants were given a list of 10 well-known political leaders in Mainland China and Taiwan. Mainland leaders (such as Wen Jiabao, Zhu Rongji and Hu Jintao) have received higher rating than leaders in Taiwan (such as Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou and Lien Chan).University of Hong Kong releases the latest ratings of the top 10 political figures in Mainland China and Taiwan as well as people's appraisal of past Chinese leaders". 4 April 2006. accessed 3 May 2006. Foreign relations with then-U.S. President George W. Bush]] The People's Republic of China maintains diplomatic relations with most major countries in the world. Sweden was the first western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic on 9 May 1950. In 1971, the PRC replaced the Republic of China as the sole representative of China in the United Nations and as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.Eddy Chang (22 August 2004). Perseverance will pay off at the UN The Taipei Times. The PRC was also a former member and leader of the Non-Aligned Movement. Under its interpretation of the One-China policy, the PRC has made it a precondition to establishing diplomatic relations that the other country acknowledges its claim to Taiwan and severs official ties with the Republic of China government. The government opposes publicized foreign travels by former and present ROC officials promoting Taiwan's independence, such as Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian, and other politically controversial figures, such as Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism, in an official context . The PRC has been playing an increasing role in calling for free trade areas and security pacts amongst its Asia-Pacific neighbors. In 2004, the PRC proposed an entirely new East Asia Summit (EAS) framework as a forum for regional security issues that pointedly excluded the United States.Dillon, Dana and John Tkacik Jr, "China’s Quest for Asia", Policy Review, December 2005 and January 2006, Issue No. 134. Retrieved 22 April 2006. The EAS, which includes ASEAN Plus Three, India, Australia and New Zealand, held its inaugural summit in 2005. The PRC is also a founding member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), with Russia and the Central Asian republics. Sinophobic attitudes often target Chinese minorities and nationals living outside of China. Sometimes the anti-Chinese attitudes turn violent, such as the May 13 Incident in Malaysia in 1969 and the Jakarta riots of May 1998 in Indonesia, in which more than 2,000 people died.Malaysia's race rules. The Economist Newspaper Limited (2005-08-25). Requires login. In recent years, a number of anti-Chinese riots and incidents have also occurred in Africa and Oceania."Algeria: Xenophobia against Chinese on the rise in Africa". Afrik.com. August 5, 2009."Looters shot dead amid chaos of Papua New Guinea's anti-Chinese riots". The Australian. May 23, 2009. Anti-Chinese sentiment is often rooted in socio-economics."Overseas and under siege". The Economist. August 11, 2009. Much of the current foreign policy is based on the concept of China's peaceful rise. Conflicts with foreign countries have occurred at times in its recent history, particularly with the United States; for example, the U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the Kosovo conflict in May 1999 and the U.S.-China spy plane incident in April 2001. Its foreign relations with many Western nations suffered for a time following the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, though they have since recovered. The relationship between China and Japan has been strained at times by Japan's refusal to acknowledge its wartime past to the satisfaction of the PRC; take for instance revisionist comments made by prominent Japanese officials and in some Japanese history textbooks. Another point of conflict between the two countries is the frequent visits by Japanese government officials to the Yasukuni Shrine. However, Sino-Japanese relations have warmed considerably since Shinzo Abe became the new Japanese Prime Minister in September 2006. A joint historical study to be completed by 2008 of WWII atrocities is being conducted by the PRC and Japan. Equally bordering the most countries in the world alongside Russia, the PRC was in a number of international territorial disputes. China's territorial disputes have led to localized wars in the last 50 years, including the Sino-Indian War in 1962, the Sino-Soviet border conflict in 1969, and the Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979. In 2001, the PRC and Russia signed the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship,Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation (21 March 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006. which paved the way in 2004 for Russia to transfer Yinlong Island as well as one-half of Heixiazi to China, ending a long-standing Sino-Russian border dispute. Other territorial disputes include islands in the East and South China Seas, and undefined or disputed land borders with India and Bhutan. While accompanying a rapid economic rise, the PRC since the 1990s seeks to maintain a policy of quiet diplomacy with its neighbors. It does so by keeping economic growth steady and participating in regional organizations and cultivating bi-lateral relations in order to ease suspicion over China's burgeoning military capabilities. The PRC has started a policy of wooing African nations for trade and bilateral co-operation.http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0330/p01s01-woaf.html. Abraham McLaughlin, "A rising China counters US clout in Africa", The Christian Science Monitor, 30 March 2005 edition. Princeton N. Lyman. "China’s Rising Role in Africa", 21 July 2005 Council of Foreign Relations. Retrieved 26 June 2007. Xinhua, China's official news agency, states that there are no less than 750,000 Chinese nationals working or living in Africa."China and Africa: Stronger Economic Ties Mean More Migration". Malia Politzer, Migration Information Source. August 2008 There are some discussions about whether China will become a new superpower in the 21st century, with certain commentators pointing out its economic progress, military might, very large population, and increasing international influence but others claiming it is headed for economic collapse. Human rights groups have been critical of China's treatment of religious and press freedoms]] While economic and social controls have been greatly relaxed in China since the 1970s, political freedom is still tightly controlled by both central and local governments. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China states that the "fundamental rights" of citizens include freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to a fair trial, freedom of religion, universal suffrage, and property rights. However, these provisions do not afford significant protection in practice against criminal prosecution by the State. Will the Boat Sink the Water?: The Life of China's Peasants / Chen Guidi and Wu Chuntao (2006) ISBN 1586483587''Empire of Lies: The Truth About China in the Twenty-First Century'' / Guy Sorman (2008) ISBN 1594032165 Tens of millions who have moved to the cities find themselves treated as second class citizens by China's urban population, who tend to look down on country folk. There is dissatisfaction from peasants as a result of land seizures by the wealthy middle class of the cities. Official discrimination, such as in the hukou system of household registration, between rural and urban is often described as an apartheid system. Today, a farmer has to pay three times more in taxes even though his income is one sixth that of the average urban dweller. Censorship of political speech and information is openly and routinely used to silence criticism of government and the ruling Chinese Communist Party.China Human Rights Fact Sheet (March 1995). Retrieved 16 April 2006. In particular, press control is notoriously tight: Reporters Without Borders considers the PRC one of the least free countries in the world for the press. In the Reporters Without Borders' Annual World Press Freedom Index of 2005, the PRC ranked 159 out of 167 places. Chinese journalist He Qinglian in her 2004 book Media Control in ChinaMedia Control in China published 2004 by Human Rights in China, New York. Revised edition 2006 published by Liming Cultural Enterprises of Taiwan documents government controls on the Internet and other media in China. The government has a policy of limiting groups, organizations, and beliefs that it considers a potential threat to "social stability" and control, as was the case with the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The Communist Party has had mixed success in controlling information: a very strong media control system faces very strong market forces, an increasingly educated citizenry, and cultural change that are making China more open, especially on environmental issues.1998 U.S. Embassy Beijing report "The Fading of Environmental Secrecy" . Retrieved 4 February 2007.1997 U.S. Embassy Beijing report "Environmental NGOs in China: Green is Good, But Don't Openly Oppose the Party" . Retrieved 4 February 2007. A number of foreign governments and NGOs routinely criticize the PRC, alleging widespread civil rights violations including systematic use of lengthy detention without trial, forced confessions, torture, mistreatment of prisoners, restrictions of freedom of speech, assembly, association, religion, the press, and labor rights. China leads the world in capital punishment, accounting for roughly 90% of total executions in 2004.http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0405-07.htm 5 April 2005. Accessed 23 June 2006. The Independent/UK article, republished. Civil rights issues are one of the factors driving independence movements in Tibet and Xinjiang. The PRC government has responded by arguing that the notion of human rights should take into account a country's present level of economic development, and focus more on the people's rights to subsistence and development in poorer countries."China's Progress in Human Rights" July 2005, Accessed: 18 April 2008. The rise in the standard of living, literacy, and life expectancy for the average Chinese in the last three decades is seen by the government as tangible progress made in human rights."China's reform and opening-up promotes human rights, says premier". 11 December 2003. Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States. Retrieved 28 April 2006. Efforts in the past decade to combat deadly natural disasters, such as the perennial Yangtze River floods, and work-related accidents are also portrayed in China as progress in human rights for a still largely poor country. Administrative divisions The People's Republic of China has administrative control over twenty-two provinces and considers Taiwan to be its twenty-third province.Gwillim Law (2 April 2005). Provinces of China. Retrieved 15 April 2006. There are also five autonomous regions, each with a designated minority group; four municipalities; and two Special Administrative Regions that enjoy considerable autonomy. The twenty-two provinces, five autonomous regions, and four municipalities can be collectively referred to as "mainland China", a term which usually excludes Hong Kong and Macau. Geography and climate The People's Republic of China is the second largest country in Asia by area after Russia, and is considered the third largest"The People's Republic of China" (7 September 2005). Foreign & Commonwealth Office in the world in respect to land and sea area. The uncertainty over size is related to (a) the validity of claims by China on territories such as Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract (both territories also claimed by India), and (b) how the total size of the United States is calculated: The World Factbook gives 9,826,630 km², and the Encyclopedia Britannica gives 9,522,055 km². China borders 14 nations (counted clockwise from south): Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan,China's border with Pakistan falls in the disputed Kashmir province. The area under Pakistani-administration is claimed by India. Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and North Korea. Additionally the border between PRC and ROC is located in territorial waters. The territory of China contains a large variety of landscapes. In the east, along the shores of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, there are extensive and densely populated alluvial plains, while on the edges of the Inner Mongolian plateau in the north, grasslands can be seen. Southern China is dominated by hill country and low mountain ranges. In the central-east are the deltas of China's two major rivers, the Yellow River and Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). Other major rivers include the Xi, Mekong, Brahmaputra and Amur. To the west, major mountain ranges, notably the Himalayas, with China's highest point at the eastern half of Mount Everest, and high plateaus feature among the more arid landscapes such as the Taklamakan and the Gobi Desert. A major issue is the continued expansion of deserts, particularly the Gobi Desert."Beijing hit by eighth sandstorm". BBC news. Retrieved 17 April 2006. Although barrier tree lines planted since the 1970s have reduced the frequency of sandstorms, prolonged drought and poor agricultural practices result in dust storms plaguing northern China each spring, which then spread to other parts of East Asia, including Korea and Japan. China is losing a million acres per year to desertification."The gathering sandstorm: Encroaching desert, missing water". The Independent. November 9, 2007. Water, erosion, and pollution control have become important issues in China's relations with other countries. China has some relevant environmental regulations: the 1979 Environmental Protection Law, which was largely modeled on U.S. legislation. But the environment continues to deteriorate. While the regulations are fairly stringent, they are frequently disregarded by local communities while seeking economic development. Twelve years after the law, only one Chinese city was making an effort to clean up its water discharges.Sinkule, Barbara J., Implementing Environmental Policy in China, Praeger Publishers, 1995, ISBN 0-275-94980-X This indicates that China is about twenty years behind the U.S. schedule of environmental regulation. Part of the price China is paying for increased prosperity is damage to the environment. Leading Chinese environmental campaigner Ma Jun has warned that water pollution is one of the most serious threats facing China. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, roughly 300 million Chinese are drinking unsafe water. This makes the crisis of water shortages more pressing, with 400 out of 600 cities short of water. Melting glaciers in the Himalayas could lead to water shortages for hundreds of millions of people."Himalaya glaciers melting much faster". Msnbc.msn.com. November 24, 2008. Military of the PLAN]] With 2.3 million active troops, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the largest military in the world.China Seeks to Allay U.S. Fears as Summit Nears (2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006. The PLA consists of an army, navy, air force, and strategic nuclear force. The official announced budget of the PLA for 2009 was $70 billion. However, the United States claims China does not report its real military spending. The DIA estimates that the real Chinese military budget for 2008 could be anywhere from US$105 to US$150 billion. Although this is still only a fraction of US spending.U.S. Department of Defense The PRC, despite possession of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, is widely seen by military researchers both within and outside of China as having only limited power projection capability; this is, among other things, because of the limited effectiveness of its navy. It is considered a major military regional power and an emerging military superpower.Nolt, James H. Analysis: The China-Taiwan military balance. Asia Times. Retrieved 15 April 2006. In order to protect its critical supply lines without a power projection capability, China has been establishing foreign military relationships that have been compared to a String of Pearls. Much progress has been made in the last decade and the PRC continues to make efforts to modernize its military. It has purchased state-of-the-art fighter jets from Russia, such as the Sukhoi Su-30s, and has also produced its own modern fighters, specifically the Chinese J-10s and the J-11s.http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fighter/j10b.asp It has also acquired and improved upon the Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, which are considered to be among the best aircraft-intercepting systems in the world,SinoDefence: Surface-to-air Missile System (2006). Retrieved 7 July 2009. albeit Russia has since produced the new generation S-400 Triumf, which has been reported to at least have been semi-developed with China. The PRC's armored and rapid-reaction forces have been updated with enhanced electronics and targeting capabilities. In recent years, much attention has been focused on building a navy with blue-water capability.SinoDefence: Aircraft carrier programme (2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006. Economy from 1952 to 2005.]] From its founding in 1949 to late 1978, the People's Republic of China was a Soviet-style centrally planned economy. Private businesses and capitalism did not exist. To propel the country towards a modern, industrialized communist society, Mao Zedong instituted the Great Leap Forward which is now widely seen – both within the PRC and outside – as a major economic failure and a great humanitarian disaster. Following Mao's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, Deng Xiaoping and the new Chinese leadership began to reform the economy and move to a market-oriented mixed economy under one-party rule. China's economy is mainly characterized as a market economy based on private property ownership.http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~yqian/how%20far%20across%20the%20river.pdf Collectivization of the agriculture was dismantled and farmlands were privatized to increase productivity. A wide variety of small-scale enterprises were encouraged while the government relaxed price controls and promoted foreign investment. Foreign trade was focused upon as a major vehicle of growth, which led to the creation of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) first in Shenzhen (near Hong Kong) and then in other Chinese cities. Inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs) were restructured by introducing western-style management system and the unprofitable ones were closed, resulting in massive job losses. building at Shanghai's Pudong financial district]] Since economic liberalization began in 1978, the PRC's investment- and export-ledChina must be cautious in raising consumption China Daily. Retrieved on February 8, 2009. economy has grown 70 times biggerChina jumps to world's No 3 economy The Australian. Retrieved on January 21, 2009. and is the fastest growing major economy in the world.GDP growth 1952-2007. Chinability. Retrieved on 2008-10-16. It now has the world's third largest nominal GDP at 30 trillion yuan (US$4.4 trillion), although its per capita income of US$3,300 is still low and puts the PRC behind roughly a hundred countries.China's GDP grows by seven-year low of 9% in 2008 Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved on January 27, 2009. The primary, secondary, and tertiary industries contributed 11.3%, 48.6%, and 40.1% respectively to the total economy. If PPP is taken into account, the PRC's economy is second only to the US at US$7.9 trillion corresponding to US$6,000 per capita.World Economic Outlook Database International Monetary Fund (April 2008). Retrieved on 27 July 2008. The PRC is the fourth most visited country in the world with 49.6 million inbound international visitors in 2006. It is a member of the WTO and is the world's third largest trading power behind the US and Germany with a total international trade of US$2.56 trillion – US$1.43 trillion in exports (#2) and US$1.13 trillion in imports (#3). Its foreign exchange reserves have reached US$2.1 trillion, making it by far the world's largest.China’s Foreign-Exchange Reserves Surge, Exceeding $2 Trillion Bloomberg (July 15, 2009). Retrieved on 12 August 2009. The PRC owns an estimated $1.6 trillion of U.S. securities.China must keep buying US Treasuries for now-paper. Reuters. August 19, 2009. It is among the world's favorite destination for FDI, attracting more than US$80 billion in 2007 alone.FDI doubles despite tax concerns Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (19 February 2008). Retrieved 26 July 2008. The PRC's success has been primarily due to manufacturing as a low-cost producer. This is attributed to a combination of cheap labor, good infrastructure, medium level of technology and skill, relatively high productivity, favorable government policy, and some say, an undervalued exchange rate. The latter has been sometimes blamed for the PRC's bulging trade surplus (US$262.7 billion in 2007)2007 trade surplus hits new record - $262.2B ChinaDaily.com.cn (11 January 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008. and has become a major source of dispute between the PRC and its major trading partners – the US, EU, and Japan – despite the yuan having been de-pegged and risen in value by 20% against the US dollar since 2005.China widens yuan, non-dollar trading range to 3% (23 September 2005). Retrieved 15 April 2006. The PRC, holding US$801.5 billion in Treasury bonds, is the largest foreign holder of U.S. public debt.Washington learns to treat China with care. CNNMoney.com. July 29, 2009. initiated the PRC's market-oriented reforms.]] The state still dominates in strategic "pillar" industries (such as energy and heavy industries), but private enterprise (30 million private businesses)Putting Democracy in China on Hold John Lee, The Center for Independent Studies. Retrieved 26 July 2008. now accounts for anywhere between 33%http://english.people.com.cn/200507/13/eng20050713_195876.html (People's Daily Online 2005) to 70%http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_34/b3948478.htm (BusinessWeek, 2005) of GDP in 2005, while the OECD estimate is over 50%http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/16/3/36174313.pdf of China's national output, up from 1% in 1978. Its stock market in Shanghai (SSE) is raising record amounts of IPOs and its benchmark Shanghai Composite index has doubled since 2005. SSE's market capitalization reached US$3 trillion in 2007 and is the world's fifth largest exchange. China now ranks 29th in the Global Competitiveness Index.The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 World Economic Forum. Retrieved on 24 September 2009. Thirty-seven Chinese companies made the list in the 2009 Fortune Global 500 (Beijing alone with 26).GLOBAL 500 CNN Money.com. Retrieved on 27 July 2008. Measured using market capitalization, four of the world's top ten most valuable companies are in China including first-ranked PetroChina (world's most valuable oil company), third-ranked Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (world's most valuable bank), fifth-ranked China Mobile (world's most valuable telecommunications company) and seventh-ranked China Construction Bank.Global 500 2009 Financial Times.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2009. Although still poor by the world's standard, the PRC's rapid growth managed to pull hundreds of millions of its people out of poverty since 1978. Today, about 10% of the Chinese population (down from 64% in 1978) live below the poverty line of US$1 per day (PPP) while life expectancy has dramatically increased to 73 years. More than 90% of the population is literate, compared to 20% in 1950.Plafker, Ted, China's Long — but Uneven — March to Literacy International Herald Tribune Urban unemployment declined to 4 percent in China by the end of 2007 (true overall unemployment might be higher at around 10%).Urban unemployment declines to 4% in China People's Daily Online (22 January 2008). Retrieved on 27 July 2008. Its middle class population (defined as those with annual income of at least US$5,000) has now reached 80–150 million.China’s middle class reaches 80 million Euromonitor International (25 July 2007). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.China's Middle Class Leslie T. Chang, National Geographic.com (May 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008.Burgeoning bourgeoisie The Economist (12 Feb 2009). Retrieved on 5 May 2009. China's retail market is worth RMB8921 billion (US$1302 billion) in 2007 and growing at 16.8% annually.Total Retail Sales of Consumer Goods (2007.12) National Bureau of Statistics of China (13 March 2008). Retrieved on 21 November 2008. It is also now the world's third biggest consumer of luxury goods with 12% of the global share.China's hunger for luxury goods grows Jehangir S. Pocha, The Boston Globe (21 March 2006). Retrieved on 26 July 2008. The PRC's growth has been uneven when comparing different geographic regions and rural and urban areas. The urban-rural income gap is getting wider in the PRC with a Gini coefficient of 46.9%. Development has also been mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal regions while the remainder of the country are left behind. To counter this, the government has promoted development in the western, northeastern, and central regions of China. The economy is also highly energy-intensive and inefficient – it uses 20%-100% more energy than OECD countries for many industrial processes.China Quick Facts The World Bank. Retrieved on 26 July 2008. It has now become the world's second largest energy consumer behind the USChina - Background Energy Information Administration – U.S. government official statistics. Retrieved on 26 July 2008. but relies on coal to supply about 70% of its energy needs.China's Coal Gordon Feller, ECOworld. Retrieved on 26 July 2008. Coupled with a lax environmental regulation, this has led to a massive water and air pollution (China has 20 of the world's 30 most polluted cities). Consequently, the government has promised to use more renewable energy with a target of 10% of total energy use by 2010 and 30% by 2050.China have set a Renewable Energy Target of 10% of Electric Power Capacity by 2010 Thomson Reuters (11 March 2008). Retrieved on 26 July 2008. Science and technology s in Xinjiang. The Dabancheng project is Asia's largest wind farm.]] After the Sino-Soviet split, China started to develop its own nuclear weapons and delivery systems, successfully detonating its first surface nuclear test in 1964 at Lop Nur. A natural outgrowth of this was a satellite launching program, which culminated in 1970 with the launching of Dong Fang Hong I, the first Chinese satellite. This made the PRC the fifth nation to independently launch a satellite. In 1992, the Shenzhou manned spaceflight program was authorized.China's First Man-made Satellite (2003). Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 16 April 2006. After four unmanned tests, Shenzhou 5 was launched on 15 October 2003, using a Long March 2F launch vehicle and carrying Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei, making the PRC the third country to put a human being into space through its own endeavors.Wade, Mark. Shenzhou (6 January 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006. China completed its second manned mission with a crew of two, Shenzhou 6 in October 2005. In 2008, China successfully completed the Shenzhou 7 mission, making it the third country to have the capability to conduct a spacewalk. The country plans to build a Chinese Space Station in the near future and achieve a lunar landing in the next decade.Wade, Mark. (30 March 2005)Project 921-2. Retrieved 16 April 2006. China has the world's second largest research and development budget, and is expected to invest over $136 billion in 2006 after growing more than 20% in 2005 the past year."China overtakes Japan on R&D" Financial Times. Retrieved 3 December 2006. The Chinese government continues to place heavy emphasis on research and development by creating greater public awareness of innovation, and reforming financial and tax systems to promote growth in cutting-edge industries. In 2006, President Hu Jintao called for China to make the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to an innovation-based one and the National People's Congress have approved large increases in research funding. Stem cell research and gene therapy, which some in the Western world see as controversial, face minimal regulation in China. China has an estimated 926,000 researchers, second only to the 1.3 million in the United States.OECD: China to spend $136 billion on R&D BusinessWeek. Retrieved 3 December 2006. China is also actively developing its software, semiconductor and energy industries, including renewable energies such as hydro, wind and solar power."Blinding Science: China's Race to Innovate" Bruce Einhorn, Business Week, 31 March 2006, accessed: 16 April 2006. In an effort to reduce pollution from coal-burning power plants, China has been pioneering the deployment of pebble bed nuclear reactors, which run cooler and safer, and have potential applications for the hydrogen economy."China leading world in next generation of nuclear plants" Robert J. Saiget. DAGA. 5 October 2004. Retrieved 16 April 2006. China currently has the most cell phone users in the world with over 700 million users in July 2009. It also has the largest number of internet and broadband users in the world. Transportation . There are 45,000 km (28,000 mi) of expressways in China. This is the second-longest total in the world, and half that of the United States.]] Transportation in the mainland of the People's Republic of China has improved significantly since the late 1990s as part of a government effort to link the entire nation through a series of expressways known as the National Trunk Highway System (NTHS). The total length of expressway is 61,000 km at the end of 2008, second only to the United States. Most of the expressways, however, require tolls. Private car ownership is increasing at an annual rate of 15%, although it is still uncommon because of government policies which make car ownership expensive, such as taxes and toll roads. "China's Car Drive" (13 June 2005). Earlywarning. Private highway driving is becoming more common, being almost nonexistent ten years ago. Domestic air travel has increased significantly, but remains too expensive for most. Long distance transportation is dominated by railways and charter bus systems. Railways are the vital carrier in China; they are monopolized by the state, divided into various railway bureaus in different regions. At the rates of demand it experiences, the system has historically been subject to overcrowding during travel seasons such as Chunyun during the Chinese New Year. Cities such as Beijing and Shanghai both have a rapidly expanding network of underground or light rail systems, while several other cities also have running rapid transit. Numerous cities are also constructing subways. Hong Kong has one of the most developed transport systems in the world. Shanghai has a Maglev rail line connecting Shanghai's urban area to Pudong International Airport. Demographics , there are 1,338,612,968 people in the PRC. About 21% (male 145,461,833; female 128,445,739) are 14 years old or younger, 71% (male 482,439,115; female 455,960,489) are between 15 and 64 years old, and 8% (male 48,562,635; female 53,103,902) are over 65 years old. The population growth rate for 2006 is 0.6%. The PRC officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, the largest of which are the Han Chinese, who constitute about 91.9% of the total population.CIA factbook (29 March 2006). Retrieved 16 April 2006. Large ethnic minorities include the Zhuang (16 million), Manchu (10 million), Hui (9 million), Miao (8 million), Uyghur (7 million), Yi (7 million), Tujia (5.75 million), Mongols (5 million), Tibetans (5 million), Buyei (3 million), and Koreans (2 million).Stein, Justin J (Spring 2003). Taking the Deliberative in China. Retrieved 16 April 2006. In the past decade, China's cities expanded at an average rate of 10% annually. The country's urbanization rate increased from 17.4% to 41.8% between 1978 and 2005, a scale unprecedented in human history.Zhou Qun, Lin Yanhua. China's urbanization encounters "urban disease", Chinanews.cn (中国新闻网), 11 November 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2005. Between 150 and 200 million migrant workers work part-time in the major cities and return home to the countryside periodically with their earnings. Today, the People's Republic of China has dozens of major cities with one million or more long-term residents, including the three global cities of Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Major cities in China play key roles in national and regional identity, culture and economics. Largest cities The figures below are from the 2008 census, and are only estimates of the population within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists when considering the total municipal populations (which includes suburban and rural populations). The large floating populations of migrant workers make conducting censuses in urban areas difficult;Francesco Sisci, "China's floating population a headache for census", The Straits Times, 22 September 2000. the figures below do not include the floating population, only long-term residents. Population policy With a population of over 1.3 billion, the PRC is very concerned about its population growth and has attempted, with mixed results, to implement a strict family planning policy. The government's goal is one child per family, with exceptions for ethnic minorities and flexibility in rural areas. The government's goal is to stabilize population growth early in the 21st century, though some projections estimate a population of anywhere ranging from 1.4 billion to 1.6 billion by 2025. Hence, the country's family planning minister has indicated that China will maintain its one-child policy until at least the year 2020. The policy is resisted, particularly in rural areas, because of the need for agricultural labour and a traditional preference for boys (who can later serve as male heirs). Families who breach the policy often lie during the census.http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/fertl2b.htm Official government policy opposes forced sterilization or abortion, but allegations of coercion continue as local officials, who are faced with penalties for failing to curb population growth, may resort to forced abortion or sterilization, or manipulation of census figures. The decreasing reliability of PRC population statistics since family planning began in the late 1970s has made evaluating the effectiveness of the policy difficult. Estimates by Chinese demographers of the average number of children for a Chinese woman vary from 1.5 to 2.0. The government is particularly concerned with the large imbalance in the sex ratio at birth, apparently the result of a combination of traditional preference for boys and family planning pressure, which led to the ban of using ultrasound devices for the purpose of preventing sex-selective abortion. Other factors include under-reporting of female children to circumvent the law and that some areas unofficially allow a second child if the first is not a male but not otherwise. On the basis of a 2005 report by China's National Population and Family Planning Commission, there were 118.6 boys born for every 100 girls, and in some rural areas the boy/girl ratio could be as high as 130/100. As this trend of gender imbalance is on the increase, experts warn of increased social instability should this trend continue. Education is a well regarded university in mainland China.]] In 1986, China set the long-term goal of providing compulsory nine-year basic education to every child. , there were 396,567 primary schools, 94,116 secondary schools and 2,236 higher education institutions in the PRC.Factbox: Education in China (2008). China-Arab Education Information Network In February 2006, the government advanced its basic education goal by pledging to provide completely free nine-year education, including textbooks and fees, in the poorer western provinces.China pledges free 9-year education in rural west (21 February 2006). China Economic Net. , 90.9% (male: 95.1%; female: 86.5%) of the population over age 15 are literate."Chinese People" (2005). TravelBlog. China's youth (age 15 to 24) literacy rate was 98.9% (99.2% for males and 98.5% for females) in 2000. In March 2007, China announced the decision of making education a national "strategic priority", the central budget of the national scholarships will be tripled in two years and 223.5 billion Yuan (28.65 billion US dollars) of extra funding will be allocated from the central government in the next 5 years to improve the compulsory education in rural areas.Premier Wen announces hefty educational investment (2007). Retrieved 6 March 2007. The quality of Chinese colleges and universities varies considerably across the country. The consistently top-ranked universities in mainland China are:2005 Chinese University Ranking unveiled (21 February 2005). China Daily. Retrieved 16 April 2006.All-around Ranking (2003). Retrieved 17 April 2006. *Beijing: Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University *Shanghai: Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University *Harbin: Harbin Institute of Technology *Tianjin: Nankai University, Tianjin University *Xi'an Jiaotong University (Xi'an) *Nanjing University (Nanjing) *University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei) *Zhejiang University (Hangzhou) *Wuhan University (Wuhan) *Guangzhou: Sun Yat-sen University (aka Zhongshan University) Many parents are highly committed to their children's education, often investing large portions of the family's income on education. Private lessons and recreational activities, such as in foreign languages or music, are popular among the middle-class families who can afford them."China's graft: Tough talk, old message" by Mary Hennock. 27 September 2004. BBC News. Accessed 2 May 2006. Public health . ]] The Ministry of Health, together with its counterparts in the provincial health bureaus, oversees the health needs of the Chinese population.China AIDS Survey at Yahoo. Retrieved 18 April 2006. An emphasis on public health and preventative treatment characterized health policy since the early 1950s. At that time, the party started the Patriotic Health Campaign, which was aimed at improving sanitation and hygiene, as well as attacking several diseases. This has shown major results as diseases like cholera, typhoid, and scarlet fever were nearly eradicated. With economic reform after 1978, the health of the Chinese public improved rapidly because of better nutrition despite the disappearance, along with the People's Communes, of much of the free public health services provided in the countryside. Health care in China became largely private fee-for-service. This was widely criticised by the Islamic Hui populations of the North West, who were often unable to obtain medical support in their remote communities. By 2000, when the World Health Organization made a large study of public health systems throughout the world, The World Health Report 2000 Health Systems: Improving Performance the Chinese public health system ranked 144 of the 191 UN member states ranked. The country's life expectancy at birth jumped from about 35 years in 1949 to 73.18 years in 2008,"Population Growth in China : The Basic Characteristics of China’s Demographic Transition" by Maristella Bergaglio."China". CIA World Factbook, 2008-05-16 and infant mortality went down from 300 per thousand in the 1950s to about 23 per thousand in 2006.CIA World Factbook. 20 April 2006. URL accessed 3 May 2006.China’s Infant Mortality Rate Down. 11 September 2001. CHINA.ORG.CN. URL accessed 3 May 2006. Malnutrition stood at 12% of the population according to United Nations FAO sources. Despite significant improvements in health and the introduction of western style medical facilities, China has several emerging public health problems, which include respiratory problems as a result of widespread air pollution and millions of cigarette smokers,"Smoking 'will kill one third of young Chinese men'". 16 August 2001. Honolulu Community College. Retrieved 17 April 2006. a possible future HIV/AIDS epidemic, and an increase in obesity among urban youths."Serving the people?". 1999. Bruce Kennedy. CNN. Retrieved 17 April 2006."Obesity Sickening China's Young Hearts" 4 August 2000. People's Daily. Retrieved 17 April 2006. China's large population and close living quarters has led to some serious disease outbreaks in recent years, such as the 2003 outbreak of SARS (a pneumonia-like disease) which has since been largely contained."China’s latest SARS outbreak has been contained, but biosafety concerns remain". 18 May 2004. World Health Organization. Retrieved 17 April 2006. Estimates of excess deaths in China from environmental pollution (apart from smoking) are placed at 760,000 people per annum from air and water pollution (including indoor air pollution)."China 'buried smog death finding'". BBC News. July 3, 2007. In 2007, China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest producer of CO2."China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter". Guardian.co.uk. June 19, 2007. Some 90% of China's cities suffer from some degree of water pollution,"China says water pollution so severe that cities could lack safe supplies". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2005-06-07. and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water."As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes". The New York Times. August 26, 2007. Reports by the World Bank and the New York Times have claimed industrial pollution, particularly of the air, to be significant health hazards in China. Religion , Taoism, and Buddhism are one'', a litang style painting portraying three men laughing by a river stream, 12th century, Song Dynasty.]] China does allow a limited degree of religious freedom, however official tolerance is only extended to members of state-approved religious organizations and not to those who worship underground, such as house churches. An accurate number of religious adherents is hard to obtain because of a lack of official data, but there is general consensus that religion has been enjoying a resurgence over the past 20 years. A survey by Phil Zuckerman on Adherents.com found that in 1998, 59% (over 700 million) while Taoists number 400 million (~30%). However, the number of adherents to these religions can be overcounted because one person may subscribe to one or more of these traditional beliefs simultaneously, and the difficulty in clearly differentiating Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese folk religions. In addition, subscribing to Buddhism and Taoism is not necessarily considered religious by those who follow the philosophies in principle but stop short of subscribing to any kind of divinity. Most Chinese Buddhists are nominal adherents because only a small proportion of the population (over 8% or over 100 million) may have taken the formal step of going for refuge. Even then, it is still difficult to estimate accurately the number of Buddhists because they do not have congregational memberships and often do not participate in public ceremonies. Mahayana (大乘, Dacheng) and its subsets Pure Land (Amidism), Tiantai and Zen are the most widely practiced denominations of Buddhism. Other forms, such as Theravada and Tibetan, are practiced largely by ethnic minorities along the geographic fringes of the Chinese mainland.Macintosh, R. Scott. China's prosperity inspires rising spirituality (9 March 2006). Retrieved 15 April 2006. Christianity in China was first introduced during the Tang period in the 7th century with the arrival of Nestorianism in 635 CE. This was followed by Franciscan missionaries in the 13th century, Jesuits in the 16th century, and finally Protestants in the 19th century, during which time Christianity began to make significant foothold in China. Of the minority religions, Christianity has been particularly noted as one of the fastest growing (especially since the last 200 years) and today may number between 40 million (3%) and 54 million (4%) according to independent surveys, while official estimates suggested that there are only 16 million Christians. Islam in China dates to a mission in 651, eighteen years after Muhammad's death. Muslims came to China for trade, dominating the import/export industry during the Song Dynasty. They became influential in government circles, including Zheng He, Lan Yu and Yeheidie'erding. Nanjing became an important center of Islamic study. The Qing Dynasty waged war and genocide against Muslims in the Dungan revolt and Panthay rebellion.Levene, Mark. Genocide in the Age of the Nation-State. I.B.Tauris, 2005. ISBN 1845110579, page 288Giersch, Charles Patterson. Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier. Harvard University Press, 2006. ISBN 1845110579, page 219Dillon, Michael. China’s Muslim Hui Community. Curzon, 1999. ISBN 0700710264, page xix The number of Muslims in China today is estimated between 20 and 100 million by one source while most estimates figures that there are 20 to 30 million Muslims (1.5% to 2% of the population).Counting up the number of people of traditionally Muslim nationalities who were enumerated in the 1990 census gives a total of 17.6 million, 96% of whom belong to just three nationalities: Hui 8.6 million, Uyghurs 7.2 million, and Kazakhs 1.1 million. Other nationalities that are traditionally Muslim include Kyrghyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Tatars, Salar, Bonan, and Dongxiang. See Dru C. Gladney, "Islam in China: Accommodation or Separatism?", Paper presented at Symposium on Islam in Southeast Asia and China, Hong Kong, 2002. Available at http://www.islamsymposium.cityu.edu.hk. The 2000 census reported a total of 20.3 million members of Muslim nationalities, of which again 96% belonged to just three groups: Hui 9.8 million, Uyghurs 8.4 million, and Kazakhs 1.25 million. BBC Islam in China (650-present) BBC - Religion & Ethics - Islam in China (650-present) There are also followers of minority religions including Hinduism, Dongbaism, Bön, and a number of new religions and sects (particularly Xiantianism). In July 1999, the Falun Gong spiritual practice was officially banned by the authorities,Xinhua, China Bans Falun Gong, People's Daily, 22 July 1999 and many international organizations have criticized the government's treatment of Falun Gong that has occurred since then.Mary-Anne Toy, Underground existence for Falun Gong faithful, The Age, July 26, 2008. "The US State Department, US Congress, the United Nations and human rights groups such as Amnesty say persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China is a continuing abuse of human rights." According to official estimates, 50–70 million Chinese practised Falun Gong in 1998.Joseph Kahn, "Notoriety Now for Exiled Leader of Chinese Movement", The New York Times, 27 April 1999 Other estimates have varied, however: Falun Gong itself claims to have as many as 100 million practitioners, while the China's Ministry of Civil Affairs later claimed that there were as few as 2 million. Xu Jiatun, Cultural Revolution revisited in crackdown, Taipai Times, 8 September 1999. As there is no official membership or lists, current global numbers are unknown. Culture with rice, shrimp, eggplant, fermented tofu, vegetable stir-fry, vegetarian duck with meat and bamboo]] For centuries, opportunity for economic and social advancement in China could be provided by high performance on Imperial examinations. The literary emphasis of the exams affected the general perception of cultural refinement in China, such as the belief that calligraphy and literati painting were higher forms of art than dancing or drama. China's traditional values were derived from various versions of Confucianism and conservatism. A number of more authoritarian and rational strains of thought have also been influential, such as Legalism. There was often conflict between the philosophies, such as the individualistic Song Dynasty neo-Confucians, who believed Legalism departed from the original spirit of Confucianism. Examinations and a culture of merit remain greatly valued in China today. In recent years, a number of New Confucians have advocated that democratic ideals and human rights are quite compatible with traditional Confucian "Asian values."Bary, Theodore de. "Constructive Engagement with Asian Values" . Columbia University. The first leaders of the People's Republic of China were born in the old society but were influenced by the May Fourth Movement and reformist ideals. They sought to change some traditional aspects of Chinese culture, such as rural land tenure, sexism, and a Confucian education, while preserving others, such as the family structure and obedience to the state. Many observers believe that the period following 1949 is a continuation of traditional Chinese dynastic history, while others say that the CPC's rule has damaged the foundations of Chinese culture, especially through political movements such as the Cultural Revolution, where many aspects of traditional culture were labeled 'regressive and harmful' or 'vestiges of feudalism' by the regime and thus, were destroyed. They further argue that many important aspects of traditional Chinese morals and culture, such as Confucianism, Chinese art, literature, and performing arts like Beijing opera, were altered to conform to government policies and propaganda at the time. Today, the Chinese government has accepted a great deal of traditional Chinese culture as an integral part of Chinese society, lauding it as an important achievement of the Chinese civilization and emphasizing it as vital to a Chinese national identity. Since the Cultural Revolution ended, various forms of traditional Chinese art, literature, music, film, fashion and architecture have seen a vigorous revival,"China: Traditional arts". Library of Congress - Country Studies. Accessed: 26 December 2007."China: Cultural life: The arts". Encyclopædia Britannica Online Accessed: 26 December 2007. and folk and variety art in particular have gained a new found respectability, and sparked interest nationally and even worldwide."China: Folk and Variety Arts". Library of Congress - Country Studies. Accessed: 26 December 2007. Chinese culture and the West were linked by the Silk Route. Artifacts from the history of the silk route, as well as from the natural history of the Gobi desert, are displayed in the Silk Route Museum. Sports and recreation China has one of the oldest sporting cultures in the world, spanning the course of several millennia. There is, in fact, evidence that a form of football was played in China in ancient times.Origins of the Great Game. 2000. Athleticscholarships.net. Retrieved 23 April 2006. Besides football,ESPN Soccernet. 2002. ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 26 January 2006. some of the most popular sports in the country include martial arts, table tennis, badminton, swimming, basketball and snooker. Board games such as Go (Weiqi), and Xiangqi (Chinese chess) and recently chess are also commonly played and have organized competitions. Physical fitness is widely emphasized in Chinese culture. Morning exercises are a common activity and often one can find the elderly practicing qigong and tai chi chuan in parks or students doing stretches on school campuses. Young people are especially keen on basketball, especially in urban centers with limited space and grass areas. The NBA has a huge following among Chinese youths, with Yao Ming being the idol of many. Major sporting events were also held in Beijing such as the 1990 Asian Games and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Many traditional sports are also played. The popular Chinese dragon boat racing (龙舟) occurs during the Dragon Boat Festival. In Inner Mongolia, sports such as Mongolian-style wrestling and horse racing are popular. In Tibet, archery and equestrianism are a part of traditional festivals.Qinfa, Ye. Sports History of China. About.com. Retrieved 21 April 2006. Other names See also * Index of China-related articles * Outline of China References Further reading * *Farah, Paolo, Five Years of China’s WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives on China’s Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism, Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Kluwer Law International, Volume 33, Number 3, pp. 263–304, 2006. Abstract. *Heilig, Gerhard K., China Bibliography - Online. 2006, 2007. * * * * * * External links Overviews *People's Daily: China at a Glance *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm BBC News — Country Profile: China] * *"Rethinking ‘Capitalist Restoration’ in China" by Yiching Wu Documentaries *"China on the Rise" PBS Online NewsHour. October 2005. *''China Rises'' a documentary co-produced by The New York Times, Discovery Times, CBC, ZDF, France 5 and S4C. 9 April 2006. *[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/red/ China in the Red], 1998–2001. PBS Frontline. *''China From the Inside'' A documentary series co-produced by KQED Public Television and Granada Television. Government *The Central People's Government of People's Republic of China (English) *China's Official Gateway for News & Information (English) Studies *Assertive Pragmatism: China's Economic Rise and Its Impact on Chinese Foreign Policy – analysis by Minxin Pei, IFRI Proliferation Papers n°15, 2006 *The Dragon's Dawn: China as a Rising Imperial Power 11 February 2005. *History of The People's Republic of China Timeline of Key Events since 1949. *Media, advertising, and urban life in China. Travel * Maps *Google Maps - China *Google Maps - China Interesting locations |list = }} |list = }} Category:People's Republic of China Category:Central Asian countries Category:East Asian countries Category:Countries bordering the South China Sea Category:Countries bordering the Pacific Ocean Category:Socialist states Category:Communist states Category:Single-party states Category:Republics Category:Chinese-speaking countries and territories Category:States and territories established in 1949 ace:Rèpublik Rakyat Cina af:Volksrepubliek van Sjina als:Volksrepublik China ang:Cīna Folclicu Cyneƿīse ar:جمهورية الصين الشعبية an:Republica Popular de China frp:Rèpublica populèra de Ch·ina ast:China gn:China Tekoha Tetã az:Çin Xalq Respublikası bm:China bn:গণচীন zh-min-nan:Tiong-hoâ Jîn-bîn Kiōng-hô-kok ba:Ҡытай be:Кітай be-x-old:Кітай bcl:Tsina bo:ཀྲུང་ཧྭ་མི་དམངས་སྤྱི་མཐུན་རྒྱལ་ཁབ། bs:Narodna Republika Kina br:Republik Pobl Sina bg:Китайска народна република ca:República Popular de la Xina cv:Китай Халăх Республики ceb:Tsina cs:Čínská lidová republika cbk-zam:China cy:Gweriniaeth Pobl Tsieina da:Kina de:Volksrepublik China dv:ސީނުކަރަ dsb:Chinska ludowa republika dz:རྒྱ་མི et:Hiina el:Λαϊκή Δημοκρατία της Κίνας es:República Popular China eo:Ĉinio ext:China eu:Txinako Herri Errepublika ee:China fa:جمهوری خلق چین hif:People's Republic of China fo:Kina fr:République populaire de Chine fy:Sina ga:Daon-Phoblacht na Síne gv:Deynphobblaght ny Sheen gd:Sluagh-Phoblachd na Sìne gl:República Popular da China gan:中華人民共和國 gu:ચીન hak:Chûng-fà Ngìn-mìn Khiung-fò-koet xal:Китдин орн-нутг ko:중화인민공화국 ha:Sin haw:Kina hy:Չինաստանի Ժողովրդական Հանրապետություն hi:जनवादी गणराज्य चीन hsb:China hr:Kina io:Chinia ilo:China bpy:গণচীন id:Republik Rakyat Cina ia:China ie:China os:Китай zu:IShayina is:Alþýðulýðveldið Kína it:Cina he:הרפובליקה העממית של סין jv:Republik Rakyat Cina kn:ಚೀನಿ ಜನರ ಗಣರಾಜ್ಯ pam:Maldang Republika ning Tsina ka:ჩინეთი csb:Chińskô Lëdowô Repùblikô kk:Қытай kw:Repoblek Werin China rw:Ubushinwa ky:Кытай sw:China kv:Китай kg:Sina ku:Çîn la:Res Publica Popularis Sinarum lv:Ķīna lb:Volleksrepublik China lt:Kinijos Liaudies Respublika ln:Sína jbo:jugygu'e lmo:Cina hu:Kína mk:Народна Република Кина mg:Sina ml:ചൈന mr:चीन arz:الصين ms:Republik Rakyat China mwl:Republica de la China mdf:Китай mn:Бүгд Найрамдах Хятад Ард Улс my:တရုတ်ပြည်သူ့သမ္မတနိုင်ငံ nah:China na:Tsiene nl:Volksrepubliek China nds-nl:Volksrippebliek China ne:चीन ja:中華人民共和国 pih:Shiina no:Folkerepublikken Kina nn:Folkerepublikken Kina nrm:Républyique du Peupl'ye d'la Chinne nov:Populen Republike de China oc:Republica Populara de China or:ଚୀନ pnb:چین pap:China pms:Cin-a tpi:Ol Manmeri Ripablik bilong Saina nds:Volksrepubliek China pl:Chińska Republika Ludowa pnt:Κίνα pt:República Popular da China crh:Çin Halq Cumhuriyeti ro:Republica Populară Chineză qu:Runallaqta Republika China ru:Китайская Народная Республика sah:Кытай sm:Saina sc:Cina sco:Fowkrepublic o Cheenae stq:China st:Tjhaena sq:Kina simple:People's Republic of China sk:Čína cu:Срѣдинꙗ́нє sl:Ljudska republika Kitajska szl:Chińsko Ludowo Republika so:Shiinaha sr:Кина fi:Kiina sv:Kina tl:Republikang Popular ng Tsina ta:சீன மக்கள் குடியரசு kab:Ccinwa tt:Кытай te:చైనా tet:Xina th:ประเทศจีน tg:Ҷумҳурии Халқии Чин chr:ᏥᎾ tr:Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti tk:Hytaý udm:Китай uk:Китайська Народна Республіка ur:چین ug:جۇڭخۇا خەلق جۇمھۇرىيىتى za:Cunghvaz Yinzminz Gunghozgoz vec:Cina vi:Cộng hòa Nhân dân Trung Hoa fiu-vro:Hiina Rahvavabariik zh-classical:中華人民共和國 war:Kanan Katawhan Republika han Tsina wo:Siin wuu:中华人民共和国 ts:China yi:כינע yo:Orílẹ̀-èdè Olómìnira Ará ilẹ̀ Ṣaina zh-yue:中華人民共和國 zea:China bat-smg:Kėnėjės Liaudies Respoblėka zh:中华人民共和国 Category:People's Republic of China China, People's Republic of China, People's Republic of China, People's Republic of